“Energy harvesters” and “energy harvesting” refer generally to apparatus and methods for collecting and storing energy present in the environment, such as solar energy, RF energy, and kinetic energy such as low frequency excitation or rotation. Such energies are referred to herein as “waste” energies. Storing is typically in the form of conversion of waste energy to electricity and subsequent storage in a battery.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,605,482 B2 discloses an EMEH including a reciprocating energy collector that passes a magnet through a coil of wire thereby “collecting” electrical energy from the reciprocating motion. A spring is used to store energy during the down-stroke of the reciprocating collector and to release its stored energy to return the collector to its at-rest position. A holder is used to momentarily trap the collector in its downstroke so that the spring may return the collector to its at-rest position at a greater upstroke speed than the downstroke speed of the collector. Thus, in the EMEH disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,605,482 B2, an energy storage device such as a spring is needed as well as a means for trapping the collector before release of the stored energy to maximize the speed of the collector in its upstroke, once the means for trapping is released.
What is needed in the art is an improved and simplified EMEH wherein a mechanical holder or a spring for storing energy is not required.
What is further needed in the art is a door latch release mechanism including the improved and simplified EMEH to electromagnetically harvest “waste” kinetic energy from the door latch actuating mechanism.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved EMEH.
It is a further object of the present invention to include the improved EMEH in a door latch release mechanism.